Mary Jean Chan is a highly accomplished Chinese-British poet, editor, and critic. She was born in Hong Kong but now resides in London, where she has built a reputation as one of the most exciting and talented young poets in the country. Chan has an impressive academic background, having graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College in 2012 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in English Literature. She also earned an MPhil in International Development from Oxford University and an MA and PhD in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Chan's debut poetry collection, "Flèche," was published in 2018 by Faber & Faber and quickly gained critical acclaim. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Costa Book Award in the Poetry category for "Flèche," which also made the shortlist for the Poetry Prize by the John Pollard Foundation International and the Dylan Thomas Prize in 2020. The collection is known for its powerful and emotive language, as well as its exploration of themes such as identity, sexuality, and cultural heritage.
In addition to her work as a poet, Chan is also an accomplished editor and critic. She is a Ledbury Poetry Critic and co-editor of Oxford Poetry, and currently works as a Lecturer in Creative Writing (Poetry) at Oxford Brookes University. Her work has been published in a number of prestigious literary journals and anthologies, and she is highly regarded in the literary community for her contributions to poetry and literature.
Chan's accolades include winning the Oxford Brookes ESL category International Poetry Competition, and her debut collection "Flèche" being named a book of the year by The White Review, The Irish Times, and The Guardian. She is known for her ability to blend traditional poetic forms with contemporary themes and language, creating a unique and captivating style that has won her a devoted following among readers and critics alike.